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Secret Signs
Of The Coming Of Christ
Part One
The coming of Christ is the subject of much speculation and debate. It is in books, radio, TV, and even multimillion dollar movies! I am reminded of those who said the coming of Christ would be within 40 years of Israel becoming a nation or the man who wrote "88 Reasons Why The Rapture Is In 1988." There are many who, for various motives, declare the signs of the times are here. They claim Jesus will return any day. [Of course, most people seem to neglect the fact that these people have to change their exposition of Scripture with almost every news broadcast.] They cite Matt. 24, the Book of Revelation, and other scriptures as proof of their theories on the coming of Christ. We will look at some of these later.
As we look at the real signs of the coming of Christ for the second time, some of you may say, "That's not secret. Why do you call it secret signs?" The answer is simple. I call it secret signs because most of the popular expounders of "end times" doctrine have missed or misapplied them. They are indeed secret from those who seek sensationalism, instead of the simple truth of God's Word.
Without further delay let's look at these signs.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #1
When all the enemies of Christ are in visible defeat [yes, I said defeat!] then we are drawing close to the Second Coming of Christ.
"The reason the Son of God was made manifest [visible] was to undo [destroy, loosen and dissolve] the works the devil [has done]." 1 John 3:8 Amp.
What was the purpose of the First Coming of Christ? To destroy the works of the devil. He came to win back everything Adam lost. That is why He is called the second Adam. He came to restore what Adam lost. [Rom. 5:11-21] That restoration must be complete. Jesus through His death and resurrection made it possible. The Holy Spirit working in and through His people must bring it into earthly manifestation. If He fails [which is impossible] then that would mean Satan is more powerful than God.
"[God] disarmed the principalities and powers ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]." Col. 2:15 Amp.
It was at the cross Jesus smashed the power of the devil. The victory is won. In principle, everything is over. That is one reason the devil hates the cross - it reminds him of his destiny, his defeat. However, while this has been accomplished, we have yet to see the full effects of this on planet earth. It is a spiritual reality which has to be worked into a physical experience.
This must happen before the Second Coming of Christ. If it does not, it would mean that Satan's defeat of Adam was greater than Christ's defeat of Satan. It would mean God's only way of restoring the earth is brute force [which is Satan's way of working, not God's]. It would mean that Satan would have, for all practical purposes, won. He would have destroyed more than God could restore.
The Scripture rages against such Satanic ideas.
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4 KJV
Jesus wins in every thing, in every way, and on every level. Anything less insults His victory on Calvary and detracts from His glory and majesty. Contrary to the doom sayers [who usually claim to be optimists!], Jesus Christ wins on this planet as in the rest of the universe - physical and spiritual.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #2
When the church [i.e. Christians] worldwide [and across denominational barriers] is working together in love and unity, the Second Coming of Christ is getting close.
"...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it - or be strong to its detriment, or hold out against it." Matt. 16:18 Amp.
In order for the church to be strong it must work together in unity and in love for each other.
”I give you a new commandment, that you should love one another; just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another - if you keep on showing love among yourselves.” John 13:34-35 Amp.
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!...for there the Lord has commanded a blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly]." Ps. 133:1,3 Amp.
This is not to say that there is coming one worldwide church organization. Not at all. But true Christians of all backgrounds will accept and work together for the common cause of King Jesus. This is not only in evangelism, but also in all things. Already today some churches in local communities are uniting for 6, 12 or even 24 hours of combined praise and worship. Doctrinal differences, although important, will not be used to divide, but to bring greater understanding of our God and His kingdom. Eph. 4:13
Again this must happen before the coming of Christ or else Satan has won an operational victory by dividing the church. If he does that the church cannot stand [Mk 3:24-26] and the words of Jesus in Matthew are a false prophecy. May it never be! Christ has won and has stripped Satan of every victory. The Church must win in order to display Christ's victory to the world.
There are those who teach that one worldwide church or religion will come into being in the "end times" and that this church will be a tool of Satan. This only happens in Satan's wildest fantasies. It is the true church of Jesus Christ which wins. It is not that all churches become one unit, but that the many churches work together under one Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as an army has many different divisions and types of fighting men and equipment but only wins a war as they work together, so the church wins in the same way.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #3
When the Kingship of Christ is acknowledged around the world, the Second Coming of Christ is drawing near.
"After that comes the end [the completion], when He delivers over the kingdom to God the Father after rendering inoperative and abolishing every [other] rule and every authority and power. For [Christ] must be King and reign until He has put all [His] enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be subdued and abolished is death." 1 Cor. 15:24-26 Amp.
Christ is King and He is reigning NOW! He must continue to do so until He has destroyed all His enemies and then comes the end. Until Christ is acknowledged as King and His enemies are subdued the end is not yet.
"But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Hab. 2:14 Amp.
There is a great day coming for Christians as the knowledge, righteousness, and kingship of Christ spreads around the globe in every way and on every level. We really do get to win! Victory is ours through Christ. What we do and how we live now really does count and matter not only for eternity but also it impacts this world. As we work to bring all things in line with the Word of God we hasten the Coming of Christ. No Antichrist, Beast, or Tribulation is going to wipe them out. They will stand and Christ will be glorified in the earth.
This gives us a hope and a reason to work hard today, through the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. It will matter, it will count for succeeding generations. Just as today we reap the benefits of the sacrifices of those who have gone before, even so our children and their children will reap the benefits of our warfare. But we must stand up and be counted in the struggle against evil in our generation or we will make the battle more difficult [instead of easier] for the next generation. Will we be ashamed of our conduct, warfare, and heritage that will be passed on or will we be able to stand in confidence knowing we have fought a good fight and won back much of our territory which has fallen into enemy hands? Are we Joshua's or Judas's?
"It shall come to pass in the latter days...many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Is. 2:1-2 Amp.
To put it in modern language, the way of God is going to be the "in" thing in the last days. And it won't be just a surface relationship, but an earnest desire to know God and to apply His law in all areas of life. This is vital for a successful, prosperous people. See Jos. 1, Ps. 1, Deut. 28, etc.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #4
Death is the last enemy to be destroyed.
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. " 1 Cor. 15:26 KJV
When all opposition to Christ has been brought into subjection Him, then He will return destroying the final enemy - death. What a glorious future His people have! And we can be a part of it as we work and sacrifice for the Kingdom of God. The people of the future will look back and called us blessed if we will stand on the Word of God.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #5
When the world has lived under the reign of Christ long enough to forget the terrors of war, high crime, unjust taxes, etc. we will be nearing the end.
"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. " Is. 65:17 KJV
Note: Some Christians believe this sign and the others from Isaiah 65 refer to heaven after the coming of Christ. While we believe the fullness is revealed after the Second Coming it cannot refer exclusively to that time for Verse 20 talks about sinners and death neither of which will be present after the coming of Christ. The beginning of the new heavens and the new earth started with Christ's resurrection and will be completed with His Second Coming of Christ.
This verse is not teaching that the earth will be sinlessly perfect before the coming of Christ. What it is telling us is that the effects of the gospel of Christ will be such a life-changing experience for individuals, organizations, and nations that rampart sin and the problems thereof will be a thing of the past. There will still be individuals who commit crimes etc. but it will only be a minor part of life - so rare as to not affect the average person.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #6
When Jesus and Christianity become a joy and a delight around the world, the Second Coming of Christ is coming.
"But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; and the sound of weeping shall be no more heard in it, nor the cry of distress." Is. 65:18-19
The Jerusalem that is being referred to here is the church [See. Is. 65:15, Rom. 2:28-29]. The rule of God in righteousness is a thing of joy and celebration.
"When the [uncompromisingly] righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules the people groan and sigh." Pr. 29:2 Amp.
Right now, in many cases, God allows the wicked to rule because His people are not ready to take leadership. In some cases, His people have rejected the Law of God which is the only way Godly rulership can take place . In other cases, they are too busy looking for false signs to take their responsibilities for this earth seriously. God holds us responsible for the condition of this planet and neither ignorance nor immaturity will be accepted as valid excuses on Judgment Day.
The Coming Of Christ
SECRET SIGN #7
When long life is once again normal the Second Coming of Christ is close [death has been pushed back waiting to be finally destroyed].
"There shall no more be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man who dies prematurely, for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies when only a hundred years old shall be [thought only a child, cut off because he is] accursed." Is. 65:20 Amp.
Here we see that anyone who dies when they are only 100 years old will be thought to be only a child - they haven't even begun to live yet! The fact that there is still death shows we are dealing with the world before Christ's coming, when death will be destroyed. A long life is God's blessing. There is coming a time, before the return of Christ, when long lives are normal.
This is one reason why Satan tries to stir in the imagination of the supposed "horrors" of overpopulation. Anyone who cares to study the facts with an open mind will discover that God has provided the earth with more than enough resources to meet the needs of an extremely large population. Even a quick look will reveal that famine and other "overpopulation disasters" are basically the work of evil men and governments interfering in God's order. It's not God's world that is the problem, it is sin. This will be in a running retreat before the Second Coming of Christ.
The rest of the Signs of the coming of Christ and important information on Matt. 24 and the Return of Christ are in Secret Signs Of Christ's Coming Part Two.
For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.
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